As train derailments increase, politicians seek to improve first responders ability to act with additional training and resources.
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Taxpayers dollars will more than likely be used to mitigate potentially dangerous situations caused, in part, by the negligence of billon dollar corporations, whose tanker cars full of crude oil are continuously derailing across the country, and particularly in Philadelphia.
U.S. Senator, Mr. Robert Casey, Jr., and 2nd District Philadelphia City Councilman, Mr. Kenyatta Johnson, today at City Hall made the case for a legislation called the Response Act that would provide new resources and training to first responders who arrive to scenes of train derailments, which are, according to the Democratic senator, “increasing at an alarming rate.”
There are more tanker cars full of crude oil traveling across the country than any time in the nation’s history, the senator said, noting, that Philadelphia is “in the highest category” of cities who have these types trains passing through from the Bakken Shale region of North Dakota.
“40-85” crude oil trains per week travel through Philadelphia, estimates the senator, who made mention of the most recent train derailment in the City, which was on January 31st, 2015.
To date, the derailments in Philadelphia haven’t caused injury or loss of life, to which the 2nd District Philadelphia City Councilman, who chairs committee on transportation and utilities, thanked God.
Councilman Johnson, after the press conference which was organized to discuss the bill that would establish a subcommittee under FEMA’s National Advisory Council to address training of first responders, spoke exclusively to Techbook Online and made it clear that he feels it’s government’s role to put pressure on private industry to be more accountable and invest upgrading their assets.
“They’re billion dollar companies, there’s no reason they’re not investing in infrastructure.”
Councilman Johnson, who told me he’s currently working with CSX on doing upgrades to the shabby 25th Street bridge in South Philadelphia, said he’s introduced legislation recently that nudges the federal government to issue recommendations on how railroad companies upgrade their hardware.
The councilman, who’s up for re-election, says he will continue to do what he can in his local role, but is thankful that Senator Casey has stepped in to raise the profile of this issue.
We are at the “beginning of a process to make this issue a high priority,” said Councilman Johnson, who thinks that railroad companies should also have a fund setup to deal with the aftermath of derailments.
Senator Casey concedes that his legislation, which has its strength in expertise – particularly the ask to convene a special subcommittee to do research and development for a year before making recommendations to Congress – is a long act, but “it has to get passed.”
“Derailments alone, even without injury, even without tragedy, even without spill, slows down commerce and activity,” he said.
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Photo: (From L to R): 2nd District Philadelphia City Councilman, Mr. Kenyatta Johnson (D), U.S. Senator, Mr. Robert Casey, Jr., and a first responder field questions from journalists during a press conference at City Hall. Photo Credit: C. Norris – ©2015
If railroads would invest in their railroad lines, hire more train engineers, and not have trains with so many tanker cars, then maybe we would not have so many accidents